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GS1 DataMatrix serialised label

A 2.25x1.25 serialised item label: GS1 DataMatrix with (01) GTIN, (17) expiry, (10) lot and (21) serial, and the same values printed beside it for people.

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^XA
^CF0,26
^FO20,15^FDSAMPLE PRODUCT 500ML^FS
^FO20,60^BXN,4,200,0,0,1,_^FD_1(01)09521234543213(17)270531(10)L2608123(21)SN000123^FS
^CF0,20
^FO215,60^FDGTIN 09521234543213^FS
^FO215,95^FDEXP 2027-05-31^FS
^FO215,130^FDLOT L2608123^FS
^FO215,165^FDSN SN000123^FS
^XZ

ZPL commands in this template

Each command links to its reference page. The value column shows its first use in this template; the range column lists the valid values from the command reference.

How the GS1 DataMatrix template is built

Use this template when one small item label must carry the product identity and its traceability data in a single 2D symbol: GTIN (01), expiry date (17), lot (10) and serial number (21), with the same values printed as text beside the symbol for people. The symbol is drawn by ^BX; for the symbology itself see Data Matrix.

In ^BXN,4,200,0,0,1,_ the parameters are: orientation N; module size 4 dots (range 1–32000; at 203 dpi 8 dots are 1 mm, so one module is 0.5 mm); quality 200 (ECC 200; options 0, 50, 80, 100, 140, 200); columns and rows 0 and format 1, which the preview ignores along with the aspect ratio, always drawing a square symbol; and _ as the escape character. Because the data starts with _1 (escape character + 1 = FNC1), the symbol is a GS1 DataMatrix, not a plain one.

The AI values follow the GS1 rules our checker applies: (01) is exactly 14 digits ending in a mod-10 check digit, (17) is 6 digits as YYMMDD — 270531 is 31 May 2027 — while (10) and (21) are variable length, up to 20 characters. For a version that carries GTIN, expiry and lot in a linear GS1-128 barcode see GS1 lot and expiry template; for the difference between GS1-128 and plain Code 128 see GS1-128 vs Code 128.

Common mistakes

• Data without the leading _1, or ^BX without the escape character: the symbol becomes a plain DataMatrix that carries the parentheses as text, and receiving systems that expect GS1 reject it — lint rule ZPL4003.
• A GTIN whose last digit is not the computed check digit: the code still scans, so the wrong number reaches the receiver — lint rule ZPL4004.
• A date written as 2027-05-31, or a GTIN without its leading zero: fixed-length AIs need exactly 6 or 14 digits, otherwise every AI after them is split in the wrong place — lint rule ZPL4005.
• Keeping module size 4 on a 300 dpi printer: there 12 dots are 1 mm, so the module shrinks from 0.5 mm to about 0.33 mm and the symbol prints a third smaller. Scale h with the resolution — 6 at 300 dpi keeps 0.5 mm.
• Changing the printed text but not the encoded data, or the other way round: the readable lines beside the symbol are separate ^FD fields and must carry the same values.